In town: North Yorkshire. Opposite the church in Helmsley, with views of the castle, this four-bedroom stone house is yours for £425,000. Its 18th-century core has been elegantly extended and modernised. It’s a shame the garden lies 35 yards away across a footpath.Chesterton Humberts

In the country: Moray. Your family can expand unfettered in six bedrooms and four receptions in the village of Mosstodloch, near Fochabers, for £360,000. You can add to the 1.6 acres by renting a further chunk for a tenner a year. Beware, the kitchen and bathroom need upgrading, and you'll need to create new access to the garage.Smiths Gore

Wreck of the week: Hampshire. This £425,000 four- or five-bedroom cottage in Beaulieu needs a total refit. However, it’s Grade II-listed, which might interfere with any modernisation plans. It sits on the edge of an idyllic village and teems with period features inside.John D Wood

Dream home: North Yorkshire. From the window seat in the sitting room window you look over the back lawn and across the sea to Robin Hood’s Bay. This light, three-bedroom house in Ravenscar in the North York Moors national park sits near the cliffs 10 miles from Scarborough. It teems with ancient features such as a salt store and priest’s seat by the sitting room hearth, beamed ceilings and exposed stonework. There are decent sized lawns front and back. Cost: £425,000.Hunters